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☆ Prince Harry won’t see King Charles during UK trip for Invictus celebrations
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Max Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Harry is back in the UK for the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games. Chris Jackson/Getty Images for The Invictus Games FoundationBuckingham Palace has not commented on the duke’s visit. The inaugural Invictus Games, an international sporting competition for wounded veterans and members of the military, was held in London in 2014. Following the Invictus celebrations in London, Harry and Meghan will head to Nigeria at the invitation of the Nigerian Defence Headquarters. The next Invictus Games will be held in Vancouver and Whistler in Canada in February 2025.

Persons: Duke, Sussex, King Charles III, Prince Harry, Harry, Chris Jackson, Meghan, Prince William, Duchess, Prince Archie, Charles, ”, Catherine , Princess of Wales, Damian Lewis Organizations: London CNN, Invictus, Invictus Games, Getty, Buckingham, CNN’s Royal, Nigerian Defence Headquarters Locations: United Kingdom, United States, London’s St, Paul’s, London, Nigeria, Vancouver, Whistler, Canada, Birmingham, Washington, DC

☆ Inquiry Into Johannesburg Fire Blames City Officials for Deadly Conditions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Lynsey Chutel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An inquiry into a deadly fire in Johannesburg last August that killed 76 people and exposed a housing crisis in South Africa’s largest city placed the blame on officials who ignored “ringing alarm bells” for years. The eight-month inquiry, led by a retired constitutional court justice, released its findings in a report on Sunday. The report said that years of inaction by city agencies had allowed the building to fall into lethal disrepair, and singled out a high-ranking official for blame. In the early hours of Aug. 31, a fire ripped through a derelict building in downtown Johannesburg. Once a women’s shelter, it had been all but abandoned by city agencies although it was owned by the government and managed by the Johannesburg Property Company, a government agency.

Organizations: Johannesburg Property Company Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa’s, South

☆ Analysis: Why the Israel-Hamas war isn’t Biden’s Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Joe Biden’s Democratic base has been divided over the Israel-Hamas war. To some, including people within Biden’s own party, the public demonstrations against the war in Gaza remind them of the Vietnam War protests. A mere 2% answered with some version of the Israel-Hamas war (e.g., the Middle East conflict). An unpopular warThis is dramatically different from what we saw in 1968, when the Vietnam War forced President Lyndon Johnson to abandon his reelection bid. Only a small fraction of that polling decline can be attributed to Biden’s war response.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, That’s, Lyndon Johnson, it’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden’s Organizations: CNN, Joe Biden’s Democratic, NBC, Gallup, Republican, Trump, Black South, ABC, Quinnipiac Locations: Israel, Gaza, Vietnam, Africa’s, South Africa

☆ Middle East Crisis Turkey Severs Trade With Israel, Citing Conditions in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Gulsin Harman | Ben Hubbard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey said late Thursday that it had halted all trade with Israel until “uninterrupted and adequate humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza,” signaling further deterioration in relations between the two countries. Turkey’s Trade Ministry said in a statement that exports and imports “for all products” would pause. Mr. Katz also said he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to create alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries. Turkey reported $5.4 billion in exports to Israel in 2023 and $1.64 billion in imports, according to United Nations figures. The Turkish leader has also forcefully defended Hamas and recently met with Ismail Haniyeh, the group’s political leader, and other Hamas officials in Istanbul on April 20.

Persons: Israel Katz, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mr, Katz, Erdogan, Ismail Haniyeh, “, “ Israel, Hakan Fidan Organizations: Turkey’s Trade Ministry, Bloomberg, Foreign Ministry, United Nations, Ministry, Trade Ministry, Israel, International Court of Justice Locations: Turkey, Israel, Gaza, Istanbul, “ Israel, Palestine

Devastating floods that have killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands more in East Africa are now inundating parts of the Masai Mara, one of Africa’s greatest wildlife national reserves. On Wednesday, the Telek River broke its banks and overflowed into parts of the natural reserve, flooding many tourist camps. A spokesman for the Kenyan Red Cross, Munir Ahmed, said that more than 90 people have been evacuated, some by helicopter. “The situation in Masai Mara is so bad,” said Daniel Ikayo, the owner of a safari company that operates there. “There is water everywhere.”The floods in the reserve have added to the heavy damage to key economic resources in Kenya, including livestock, crops and infrastructure.

Persons: Masai Mara, Munir Ahmed, ”, Daniel Ikayo Organizations: Kenyan, Cross Locations: East Africa, Kenya

☆ Campus protesters are calling for divestment. Here’s what that means
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” protesters at Columbia and universities across the country have chanted. Student protesters who oppose Israel’s military action in Gaza are demanding that their universities sell investments in companies with ties to Israel. Pro-Palestinian protesters say divestment would send an important message of disapproval of Israel’s conduct in Gaza. But while demonstrators have spread their messages across the country, many schools haven’t acquiesced to protesters’ calls for divestment. There are historical precedents for university divestment.

Persons: Israel’s, haven’t, Columbia’s, ”, Christina Paxson, ” Nicholas Dirks, “, Dirks Organizations: CNN — College, Student, Columbia University Apartheid, Microsoft, Protesters, Cornell, Yale, University of Michigan, The University of California, University of California, University, University of Texas, Brown, Brown Daily Herald, Portland State University, Boeing, Columbia, Ford, CNN Locations: Israel, Columbia, Gaza, Dallas, South Africa, Berkeley

☆ US is ‘best’ choice for Africa over Russia or China, US Commerce Secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Nairobi, Kenya CNN —The United States is the best partner for African nations “without strings attached” but it will not force African nations to choose its partnership over Russia or China, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told CNN. She spoke on the sidelines of the AmCham Business Summit after meeting Kenyan President William Ruto during her first official trip to Africa. Anti-Western sentimentLike many other African nations, Kenya has deep ties with China, which has funding projects and major infrastructure projects across the continent. Secretary Raimondo addressed the criticism that African nations dislike ‘lectures’ from the US and its European allies about democracy and human rights, and many prefer dealing with China or Russia that don’t make similar demands. Raimondo said the US is coming to Africa “without strings attached,” saying she had brought more than a dozen businesses to the Nairobi summit.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, “, Raimondo, CNN’s Larry Madowo, William Ruto, ‘, Ruto, we’re Organizations: Kenya CNN —, US, CNN Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, United States, Russia, China, Africa

☆ Surrounded by Fighters and Haunted by Famine, Sudan City Fears Worst
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fears of renewed ethnic slaughter in the Sudanese region of Darfur, where genocidal violence killed as many as 300,000 people two decades ago, have soared in recent days, with a looming assault on an embattled city that is already threatened by famine. The contest for control of El Fasher, the last city held by Sudan’s military in Darfur, has prompted alarmed warnings from American and United Nations officials who fear that mass bloodshed may be imminent. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, told reporters on Monday that the city was “on the precipice of a large-scale massacre.”El Fasher is the latest flashpoint in a year-old civil war between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group that the military once nurtured and is now its bitter rival for power. The conflict has devastated one of Africa’s largest countries and created a vast humanitarian crisis that U.N. officials say is one of the biggest in decades. The crisis also brings a sharp focus on the role of foreign powers accused of fueling the fight, especially the United Arab Emirates.

Persons: El Fasher, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, ” El Fasher Organizations: United Nations, Rapid Support Forces, United Locations: Sudanese, Darfur, U.S, “, United Arab Emirates

☆ Columbia student protestors are demanding ‘divestment.’ Here’s what the university has divested from in the past
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Clare Duffy | Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Columbia University Apartheid Divest submitted a formal proposal to the committee for withdrawing investments related to Israel in December, which has yet to yield success. Students at Columbia College, the university’s undergraduate school, voted to support the divestment proposal last week. Heading a nationwide South Africa divestment movementCurrently, Columbia lists five areas where it refrains from investing: tobacco, private prison operations, thermal coal, Sudan and fossil fuels — all decisions that were made in the past decade. In April 1985, students led a three-week student demonstration against Columbia’s investments in South Africa, the New York Times reported at the time. Pete Seeger, right, speaks to the crowd at Columbia University as hundreds of students continued to protest the school's ties to South Africa, April 8, 1985.

Persons: ” Israel, Catherine Elias, Daniel Armstrong, “, ” Armstrong, Pete Seeger, Frankie Ziths, G4S, Karla Ann Cote, divests, ”, Savannah Pearson, Michael Cusack Organizations: New, New York CNN, Columbia University, Columbia University Apartheid, —, Columbia, Columbia College, CNN, Coalition, New York Times, American Express, Ford, Ivy League, University of California, Johns Hopkins University, University of North, Corrections Corporation of America, Library, “, Columbia’s, Trustees, Columbia’s Teachers College Locations: New York, Gaza, Palestine, Columbia, Vietnam, Upper Manhattan, Israel, South Africa, Sudan, Los Angeles, Chevron, Berkeley, University of North Carolina, Hill, South, United States

☆ South Africa’s democracy is turning 30 – but a silent crisis threatens its hard-fought gains
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( David Mckenzie | Sarah Dean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Soweto, South Africa CNN —Seth Mazibuko strides into the intersection of Moema and Vilakazi Street in Soweto, gesturing to the spot that changed South African history. Cars are used as roadblocks on June 21, 1976, during unrest in Soweto, South Africa, stemming from protests against the use of Afrikaans in schools. But as South Africans celebrate 30 years of democracy this week, many educators and activists believe that there is a crisis hollowing out the country’s education system – a crisis that threatens democracy’s hard-fought gains. Despite substantial education funding, South African students consistently rank among the lowest in global assessments of literacy and numeracy skills. South Africa has the highest unemployment rate in the world and many university graduates struggle to enter the workforce.

Persons: South Africa CNN — Seth, ”, Mazibuko, Mike Mizleni, Prince Mulwela, Angie Motshekga, Motshekga, Nelson Mandela, Walter Dhladhla, it’s, Ann Bernstein, Bernstein, Morris Isaacson, “, ‘, ’, General, Mbali Msimanga, Atlegang Alcock, Mandela Organizations: South Africa CNN, Black South, Getty, Keystone, Hulton, “, Morris Isaacson High School, CNN, South, Basic, African National Congress, ANC, of Development, Enterprise, Corruption, South African Democratic Teachers Union, Cape Town Locations: Soweto, South Africa, Moema, gesturing, AFP, Africa, Canada, Kenya, Oshlange, Black, Durban, South Africa's, Johannesburg, Robben, Cape

Has South Africa Truly Defeated Apartheid? U.S.A., 2020 – 63% U.K., 2019 – 62% 60% 49% 40% 20% 1994 2004 2014 2019 Sources: Collette Schulz-Herzenberg, "The South African non-voter: An analysis"; Konrad Adenaur Stiftung, 2020 (South Africa); Pew Research (United States and U.K.)On a continent where coups, autocrats and flawed elections have become common, South Africa is a widely admired exception. −4% −6% Sources: Harvard Growth Lab analysis of World Economic Outlook (South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa) and World Development Indicators (upper-middle-income countries). 50% unemployment rate 40% Black unemployment rate 30% The unemployment gap between Black and white South Africans remains wide. In 2022, about 6 percent of South Africans aged 18 to 29 were enrolled in higher education, according to Statistics South Africa.

Persons: Nelson Mandela, they’ve, Collette Schulz, Konrad Adenaur Stiftung, —, Walter Sisulu, Joao Silva, New York Times Jack Martins, ”, Mandela’s, Wandile Sihlobo, Johann Kirsten, Sihlobo, Kirsten, haven’t, Zinhle Nene, Peter Mokoena, “, Mokoena, Nokuthula Mabe, Mabe, Jacob Zuma, Chrispin Phiri, Cyril Ramaphosa, Israel, Sibusiso Zikode, Zikode, Mr Organizations: African National Congress, Pew Research, Human Sciences Research, World Bank, Black South, Charter, New York Times, University of Cape Town’s Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Economic Empowerment, South, Harvard, Economic, Government, Black, Mr, Stellenbosch University . White, Statistics, Security, JOHANNESBURG Jobs, JOHANNESBURG Sandton Downtown, West University, Education, Statistics South, General Household Survey, of, Stellenbosch University, Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services, Institute for Security Studies, International Court of Justice Locations: Africa, South Africa, Black, States, Soweto, Kliptown, Johannesburg, South, Saharan Africa, Carletonville, JOHANNESBURG, Downtown Soweto, JOHANNESBURG Sandton, JOHANNESBURG Sandton Downtown Soweto, North, Mahikeng, Botswana, Statistics South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, African, Germany, Russia, India, China, Ethiopia, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, New York Times South Africa, Gaza, Durban, South Africa’s

☆ African leaders spearhead efforts to tackle terrorism across the continent
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —African leaders discussed anti-terrorism solutions on the continent during a high-level security summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja Monday amid a rise in terror attacks. According to the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), Africa witnessed an average of eight terror-related incidents and 44 daily casualties in 2023. Nigeria’s National Security Adviser and organizer of the summit, Nuhu Ribadu, emphasized the urgent need to combat terrorism in Africa. Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the chair of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, urged the proper establishment and strengthening of a regional standby military force. “The moment has come to work out an all-encompassing Continental Strategic Plan of Action to effectively fight against terrorism across Africa,” Faki said.

Persons: Ribadu, ” Ribadu, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Faure Gnassingbe, African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, ” Faki, Tinubu, Faki, Africa’s Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, African Center, Research, Terrorism, Nigeria’s National Security, West African, ECOWAS, United Nations, African Union Commission Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Nigerian, Africa, Africa’s, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togolese

☆ South Africa’s 2024 National Election: What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( John Eligon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This year is the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections, but millions of people continue to suffer from economic challenges similar to those during apartheid. Most Black South Africans do not earn enough to meet their basic needs. All this has placed the African National Congress, the liberation party that has governed since the start of South Africa’s democracy, under more pressure than ever before as it enters an election on May 29. In the six previous national elections, the party comfortably won an absolute majority in Parliament, allowing it to govern as it wished. The party has also had to work hard to heal its internal divisions and address corruption among its ranks.

Organizations: African National Congress

☆ The Masters: Bruising winds blow a flurry of big names out of ‘borderline unplayable’ Augusta National
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Believe it or not, these are both sound bites from a golf tournament. A storm-delayed first round meant some players had to finish their first 18 holes Friday morning, exacerbating a grueling day. “Even the golf course was saying, ‘Get the hell out of here,’” Homa, chasing his first major, said. South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel clinched a two-shot victory at Augusta National in 2011, but crashed out after shooting 74 and 81. I have a chance to win the golf tournament,” Woods replied when asked by reporters what the milestone means to him.

Persons: Mike Tyson, whisking, toiled, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson –, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, ” Rahm, “, Sand, Ashley Landis, Max Homa, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Homa, ‘, ”, DeChambeau, LIV, –, I’ve, Scheffler, Jason, Scheffler’s, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark –, Justin Thomas, Spieth, Viktor Hovland, Charl Schwartzel, ” Schwartzel, ” Spieth, Warren Little, Shane Lowry, Akshay Bhatia, “ It’s, ” Ireland’s Lowry, Akshay, ” Bhatia, It’s, Garcia, Tyson, African Erik van Rooyen, Woods, Gary Player, Fred Couples, ” Woods Organizations: CNN, National, Sky Sports, Augusta National Locations: American, Augusta, “, British, African

☆ The beautiful African paradise islands that most tourists don’t know about
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —A couple of African paradise islands have been on the radar of avid world travelers for some time. Shellfish Bay on the island’s windward side shelters one of East Africa’s most spectacular beaches, a crescent of white sand framed by 100-meter dunes. Bazaruto Island Resort, the island’s top digs, can arrange scuba diving and snorkeling, sailing on traditional dhow boats, guided 4x4 wildlife safaris, sandboarding on the dunes and other outdoor activities. Lamu’s best beaches are on the island’s windward side, around a 30–40-minute walk via Shela village. — and an ancient stone nilometer for measuring the river’s water level — reflect the island’s importance during pharaonic times.

Persons: São Filipe, Denis, Ponta, Ariadne Van Zandbergen, Dar es Organizations: CNN, Ethiopian Airways, oneworld, Getty, UNESCO, Heritage, Cabo Verde Airlines, Overseas, Paris Orly, Animalia Museum, Egypt, Vogue, Reserve, Dar es Salam Locations: Mauritius, Seychelles, Canary, Africa, Madagascar, Addis Ababa, Bazaruto, Mozambique, East, sandboarding, Johannesburg, Vilanculos, Lamu, Kenya, Manda, Malindi, Nairobi, JamboJet, Fogo, Cape Verde, Cabo Verde, West Africa, Pico, Verde’s, Praia, Overseas Territory, Réunion, French Caribbean, L’Hermitage, Saint, Paris, Antananarivo, Elephantine, Egypt, Aswan, Bissagos, Guinea, Bissau, Bubaque, Pemba, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Tanga, Dar, FlightLink

☆ Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s Scandal-Ridden Ex-President, Is Running Again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Lynsey Chutel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jacob Zuma, who resigned as South Africa’s president in shame in 2018, is now staging his biggest comeback act yet by running in next month’s parliamentary elections with an upstart opposition party at the top of its ticket — the slot designated for a party’s presidential contender. Mr. Zuma’s participation in the race is a blow to a faltering African National Congress — the party he once led — which has governed the country since the end of apartheid three decades ago. and its leader, the country’s current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, are now struggling to win back the trust of voters disillusioned by a stagnant economy and years of corruption. On Wednesday, his party — uMkhonto weSizwe — released its list of national candidates with his name at the top. His party, known as MK, was formed only last December, but has already climbed in the polls, gained ground in local elections and won several legal battles for the right to contest the May 29 election.

Persons: Jacob Zuma, Mr, Cyril Ramaphosa, Zuma, — Organizations: South, African National Congress

☆ Travel news: The world’s best airports for food and drink
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments. CNN —This week in travel news: Europe’s highest pedestrian suspension bridge, a groundbreaking “blended wing” plane, North America’s solar eclipse and the world’s best airports to arrive at hungry. Airport diningThere’s no more captive consumer than a traveler caught between airport security and the departure gate, which is why Food & Wine’s 2024 roundup of the world’s best airports for food and drink got our mouths watering. “Like interest on a bank account we never knew we had.”Solar eclipse across North AmericaVideo Ad Feedback A total solar eclipse will darken skies across the US. There won’t be another total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States until 2044, so make sure you’re prepped.

Persons: bartenders, Shakira, Blake Scholl, ”, don’t, CNN’s Chris Isidore, he’s, won’t Organizations: CNN, hawker, Singapore, Narita International, Dubai International, Pathfinder, America, Disney Locations: Changi, Raffles, Tokyo, Dubai, Italy, Umbria, Africa, Kalandula Falls, Angola, South America, American, Costa Rican, Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, California, Colorado, vida, Mexico, United States, Spain, “ Andalusia, North America, Alicudi, Bogota

☆ From the Horror to the Envy of Africa: Rwanda’s Ruler Holds Tight Grip
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Blood coursed through the streets of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, in April 1994 as machete-wielding militiamen began a campaign of genocide that killed as many as 800,000 people, one of the great horrors of the late 20th century. Thirty years later, Kigali is the envy of Africa. Smooth streets curl past gleaming towers that hold banks, luxury hotels and tech startups. A 10,000-seat arena hosts Africa’s biggest basketball league and concerts by stars like Kendrick Lamar, the American rapper, who performed there in December. Tourists fly in to visit Rwanda’s famed gorillas.

Persons: Kendrick Lamar Organizations: Volkswagen, Tourists Locations: Rwanda’s, Kigali, Africa, American

☆ Luke Fleurs: Kaizer Chiefs soccer player killed in carjacking in Johannesburg
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Sammy Mncwabe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —South Africa and Kaizer Chiefs soccer player Luke Fleurs has been killed in a carjacking incident in Johannesburg, the club announced in a statement on Thursday. “We are profoundly shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic and untimely passing of one of our players, Luke Fleurs,” Chiefs said. “The Matsatsantsa family would like to send its heartfelt condolences to the Fleurs family, everyone at Kaizer Chiefs Football Club and the football community at large. My thoughts are with the Fleurs and Amakhosi family, and the entire South African football fraternity,” Kodwa added. Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni has appointed a team of detectives to investigate Fleurs’ murder and hijacking, police said.

Persons: Luke Fleurs, “, ”, Mavela Masondo, Kodwa, ” Kodwa, Tommy Mthombeni Organizations: CNN, Kaizer Chiefs, ” Chiefs, Premier Soccer League, South, Tokyo Summer Olympics, Chiefs, SuperSport United, Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, ” SuperSport, Twitter Locations: South Africa, Johannesburg, Honeydew, Gauteng, Soweto, “, African

☆ Southern Africa’s drought and floods could push tens of millions into hunger
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Sarah Dean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The country’s top priority “is securing food for all Zimbabweans,” the president told journalists at the state house in Harare. Kb Mpofu/ReutersIn Zambia, Malawi and Central Mozambique, extreme drought has damaged more than 2 million hectares of crops, Oxfam said. Zambia declared its drought a disaster on February 29. In Mozambique — a country accounting for only 0.2% of global emissions — 3 million people face hunger, according to Oxfam. The country’s capital, Maputo, experienced devastating floods in March, after Tropical Storm Filipo hit followed a few weeks later by further intense rainfall.

Persons: South Africa CNN —, Emmerson Mnangagwa, El Niño, Zimbabwe —, Filipo, ” Teresa Anderson, Machinda Marongwe, ” Marongwe Organizations: South Africa CNN, Oxfam, Reuters, Democratic, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, United States Agency, International, Systems Network Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Harare, “, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, Pumula East, Bulawayo, Central Mozambique, ” Southern Africa, Maputo

☆ Africa’s Youngest President Takes Office, Promising ‘Systemic Change’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Ruth Maclean | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Still reeling from a whirlwind campaign, young people in Senegal threw jackets over their worn election T-shirts on Tuesday to attend the inauguration of an opposition politician who went from political prisoner to president in less than three weeks. Their new leader, Bassirou Diomaye Faye — at 44, Africa’s youngest elected president — took the oath of office promising “systemic change,” and paying homage to the many people killed, injured, and imprisoned in the yearslong lead-up to the West African country’s election. “I will always keep in mind the heavy sacrifices made so as to never disappoint you,” Mr. Faye said, addressing a vast auditorium in which African heads of state and dignitaries sat at the front. From the back, hundreds of supporters of Mr. Faye and his powerful backer, the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, shouted for joy. It was the culmination of months of drama, after the former president, Macky Sall, canceled the election with just weeks to go, citing irregularities at the constitutional council — and then, under intense domestic and international pressure, agreed to hold it after all.

Persons: Bassirou Diomaye Faye —, Africa’s, —, “, Mr, Faye, Ousmane Sonko, Macky Sall Organizations: West Locations: Senegal

☆ Bus carrying Easter worshippers falls off cliff killing 45 people in South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Amy Cassidy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Dozens of worshippers died after a bus headed to an Easter conference apparently “lost control” and “plunged” off a cliff in South Africa’s Limpopo province on Thursday, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reported. An eight-year-old girl who survived has been airlifted to hospital, the public broadcaster reported. The crash happened in the Mamatlakala mountain pass between Mokopane and Marken, where the bus caught fire once it fell, public broadcaster SABC reported. South African Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said the government will repatriate the bodies to Botswana, the broadcaster said. “I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala.

Persons: “, ”, Sindisiwe Chikunga, ” Chikunga Organizations: CNN, South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, African Transport Locations: South Africa’s Limpopo, Gaborone, Botswana, Mokopane, Mamatlakala

☆ From Village to Prison to Africa’s Youngest Elected President
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Ruth Maclean | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The first election that Bassirou Diomaye Faye ever won was the one that just made him the president-elect of Senegal. Before his victory in the election last Sunday, 10 days after he was released from jail, Mr. Faye had only ever run for mayor of his hometown, Ndiaganiao — a small settlement on a sandy track, crisscrossed by horse carts carrying women and their wares to the market. He lost that election, in 2022, to the ruling party’s candidate. Few in Senegal know the remarkable journey of the 44-year-old tax inspector who rode a wave of youth discontent to become — once inaugurated — Africa’s youngest elected president. Provisional results officially released on Tuesday showed he won with 54 percent of the vote.

Persons: Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Faye, Ndiaganiao, —, — Africa’s Organizations: Provisional Locations: Senegal, Ndiaganiao

☆ 8-Year-Old Survives Bus Crash That Kills 45 People
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Russell Goldman | More About Russell Goldman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An 8-year-old child was the sole survivor after a bus carrying 46 people plunged 165 feet from a bridge into a ravine and burst into flames near South Africa’s border with Botswana, according to a provincial department of transport. The child, whose gender was not disclosed, was receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital, the Limpopo Province department of transport in South Africa said in a statement. Forty-five people, including the driver, were killed. The bus was traveling from Botswana to Moria, South Africa, for an Easter weekend church service when it careered off the Mma Matlakala Bridge after the driver “lost control and the bus fell onto a rock surface,” according to the statement. “Rescue operations continued until the late hours of Thursday evening, as some bodies were burned beyond recognition, others trapped inside the debris and others scattered on the scene,” the department said.

Persons: “ Locations: South Africa’s, Botswana, Limpopo Province, South Africa, Moria

☆ Water trickling and taps running dry are part of daily life in South Africa’s biggest city
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Sarah Dean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It’s ironic, because Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, has plenty of water at the moment — authorities and water companies just can’t seem to get it to where it’s needed. South Africa is naturally dry, and the climate crisis has hit the nation many times with crippling drought. “But there have been multiple times where we’ve been without water for five, seven days,” he said. Ravin Singh founded the Water Crisis Committee civic group last September, after his neighborhood northeast of downtown Johannesburg was suddenly hit with prolonged outages. Now Joburgers also talk about “water shedding.”But Singh concedes that people could be doing more to lower water consumption, voluntarily.

Persons: Duane Riley, we’ve, I’ve, ” Riley, Joburgers, ”, Riley, “, Ravin Singh, Singh, “ Young, ” Singh, Senzo Mchunu, Mchunu, Rand Water Organizations: Johannesburg CNN, South Africa’s, CNN, Getty, Water, Sanitation, Johannesburg Water, Rand, Cape Town Locations: Johannesburg, South, Africa, Southern Africa, Soweto, Kensington, Blairgowrie, AFP, City, Ekurhuleni, South Africa, African, Cape

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